Ushering in Daybreak
by Serafi
Summary: And then, just as they were about to disappear, they finally realized that one couldn't be whole without the other. — Asch/Luke, Lorelei


**Inspired by Schwarz Stein's 'Rise to Heaven.'**

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Luke fon Fabre never considered himself a religious person. Lorelei, the Daathic Order, and the prophecy surrounding his birth meant little to him initially. Then these whispers of doomsday endangered his loved ones by becoming a sudden and terrifying reality; Akzeriuth wasn't a tragedy Luke wanted repeated.

What was his reward for defeating Van-Eldrant and saving the world?

_Death. _Erasure. Disintegration.

"Ugh. What the hell…?" Asch groaned. His vivid eyes fluttered open and he glanced around, clearly confused. _Luke _held him close as they plummeted towards oblivion. "Huh. We did it after all?"

His replica looked down at him and nodded, smiling a little. "Yeah, we did."

Stiffly unfolding in Luke's arms, Asch managed to stand upright. There wasn't much room for reluctance; he quickly embraced the other boy to keep himself from falling faster.

"What?" he snapped, noticing Luke's intent stare.

"This is it," spoke his counterpart in a soft voice. His grasp around Asch's waist tightened. "I'm sorry for all the stupid shit I said to you. And did. I – "

Asch raised his voice suddenly, "_Stop it. _I don't need to hear that." He turned his head to one side and squeezed Luke around his middle. "I already know how you feel, _dreck. _We're linked, remember?" Those fiery eyes shifted and locked with Luke's again. "A-Are you crying?"

Luke averted his eyes and laughed. "Maybe?"

"Hmph. That's not all," said Asch, mostly to himself, as he drew his replica nearer. "You're shaking." His eyes widened with revelation. "Scared?"

"We're about to be disintegrated into a bunch of fonons, so yeah. I guess I am a little scared." A slight gasp escaped Luke when Asch tucked his fingers under his chin and lifted his head. Those eyes burned a hole right through him.

The former God General cracked a solemn half-smile and graced Luke with the words he wished he'd heard as a child, "You're not alone. I'm here too, aren't I?"

Tears streamed upwards in a crystalline spiral from Luke's bright eyes. He bit down so hard on his bottom lip that it bled. "I thought I was ready for this. Ya know? Like I, um…" Choked gasps and sobs were all he could utter.

Asch flinched when the younger boy fully embraced him. Luke buried his face in his shoulder and muffled his cries. "Luke…" he breathed and drew his lips into a tight grimace. No comforting words that could quell his replica's sorrow came to mind; Asch just held Luke as tight as he could.

"A-Asch! It's…It's starting…"

It was both painful and liberating at the same time. Strange warmth filled both mortals to bursting, and light tore through their scars and wounds. Their fonons separated one-by-one.

"_If you were given the chance to go back," _echoed a strong, masculine voice in the darkness of the abyss, _"would you alter your decisions? Risk the fate of humanity for your selfish desires?"_

Asch thought about it for a moment. What if Van never kidnapped him? What if he grew up as Luke fon Fabre and married Princess Natalia, becoming the next King of Kimlasca?

"No," he replied at length, still cradling Luke against his shoulder. "My decision was my own. The Score, Van, Daath…No one made it but me, and I wouldn't change it for anything."

Luke lifted his head and looked at him with disbelief. "Asch…"

"_What is the reasoning behind your answer?" _demanded the ethereal presence.

Both boys felt numb all over. Everything below their waists had separated and rejoined the spiral.

"If I changed the past then that would mean denying _you _life." Mentally pushing past the fact that they would soon cease to exist, the former God General raised Luke's head once more. "And then we never would have met." He took Luke's hands in his. "I…I wouldn't want that kind of future. A future where…" His reluctance stepped in again, but their impending erasure spurred him on. "A future without _all _of the people I care for isn't one I want."

"_Is that your desire then?"_ boomed the angelic figure, rising from the depths of the abyss in a flurry of amber light. _"Tell Us. What is the will of the Sacred Flame?"_

Before Asch answered, Luke yanked on what remained of his coat and pressed their lips together in a clumsy manner. His original tasted exactly as he imagined all those lonely nights; like blood and cold steel. Asch responded with greater urgency, pushing back on his younger counterpart with all his strength. In contrast to himself, Luke's lips were warm and inviting.

"To become one," whispered Luke after they separated.

The last bits of light fled from their tangible forms. The heavenly host released by their selfless sacrifices rose up and caught the particles, revealing their true forms: two small flames.

"_The will of the Sacred Flame is the will of Lorelei," _he declared and lifted his hand towards the mouth of the abyss, releasing the flames. They fluttered high above him, growing steadily with their ascent. _"The two shall become one."_

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**Leaves the age-old question: Are Asch and Luke separate at the end of the game? Or is it both sharing the same body? Just my take on what happened. Reviews, faves, and whatnot are always appreciated.**


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